FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENTS’ CHOICE OF CAREER IN VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
THE STUDY’S BACKGROUND
When few people could go to school for various reasons and jobs were waiting for individuals to qualify and take, there was little need for planning, either in terms of what courses to take or what type of job to do in the future as an occupation. Because of societal changes, the old education system order has changed. Today’s society is far too complex and changes at a much faster rate than in the past.
This rate of change creates a perplexing situation for the society’s young people who lack experience. The demand that alternatively should be clear and the important aspect should be taken into account in order to make the decision process easier.
According to Mankinde (1982), it does not require much specialized assistance in a simple society with a limited range of career options. Parents, friends, and family may be able to provide adequate advice to someone who must choose between several familiar options. The restlessness prevalent among today’s youth is indicative of a complex and diverse society.
They are attempting to comprehend their relationship with this fact-based program. “It is a genuine desire to come to give with the underlying question in all human enterprises,” according to at newsmen. What is the meaning of life, why am I here, and what can I do to justify my existence? The current educational system in Nigeria, the 6-3-3-4 system, is of American origin.
This pattern of education was introduced into our society with its diverse culture of life and values, and this class of values has caused enormous difficulties in our efforts to develop a system appropriate for our society. The history of applied psychology can be traced back to the 18th century, with the rise of empirical science and the growing influence of a commercial industrial social class.
As a result of this development, a more democratically based school system was required to train qualified workers for the ever-expanding industrial complex. Indeed, the demand for workers in Nigeria has been done among those who take the skills and need for personal to help channel these prospective workers into increasingly complex jobs.
The expansion of vocational and technical guidance was marked by two significant events that occurred in the twentieth century. The career of the national conference on vocational guidance in 1910. Association (Whifey, 1984). This marked the start of the vocational era in Nigeria.
However, vocational guidance counselling in Nigeria began in 1961 with the establishment of the Ibadan career council, which later became the nucleus of what is now known as the Nigeria career councils. Nigeria Career Council’s name was later changed in 1967.
Career counselors generally agreed that our children require ongoing guidance in their choice of occupation and relevant career path. It is common knowledge that students who choose a vocation or occupation for which they have no aptitude but are interested are more likely to fail and experience career frustration. As a result, we must live in ambiguity, uncertainty, and value confusion. In other words, traditional road or danger signals are no longer adequate.
Personal conflicts or other external obstacles do constitute to these goals; however, how we handle these obstacles so that they do not become a problem requires experience. The fact that a guidance scheme can bring over one tool, such as knowledge of how to solve problems, to bear on problem situations increases the ability to make appropriate choices and decisions to the individual’s complete satisfaction and happiness.
Many students have gone through the school system without knowing or selecting the appropriate subject that can lead them into a professional job, further studies, or a career wrist to pursue.
The question now is how we can solve these problems that are affecting our students’ choice of subject in the school system, as the choice of subject leads to the choice of career, which leads to the world of work in the career, which leads to the world of work in the society and nation, which eventually leads to the development of the individuals’ personalities.
Career plays a very important and fundamental role in an individual’s life, not only because it determines the pattern of income, but also because it affects the individual’s personality and life concepts. Thus, a career is a chosen pursuit, life work, or success in one’s profession; it is the sequence of major positions held by a person throughout his lifetime.
In a nutshell, a career is the sum total of the work that a person does during his or her lifetime. It is thus beneficial to think as far as possible in terms of endurance. A career is a difficult decision to make, especially when one’s life depends on it.
According to Her (1973), a career is the totality of experiences through which one learns about and prepares to engage in work as part of his way of life. PietropesaandSplete(1975) Stress career is an enjoyable process that occurs throughout life and includes homes, schools, and the community. Every human being must perform one or more tasks in order to contribute to the country’s development.
However, he considers career convention to be a tool for career information. This happens for a variety of reasons, including:
1. To stimulate career thinking and broaden occupational horizons.
2. To focus attention on specific jobs in order to assist an individual in crystallizing his preference.
3. To create an environment in which parents can meet employers and discuss the opportunities they offer, as well as meet career teachers and career officers with whom they can exchange ideas.
Aspects that may influence career choice include.
– Socioeconomic considerations
– Personal or family circumstances
– Cultural factors, such as schools, peer groups, and age groups.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Students who face career problems frequently choose a career or subject without taking important factors such as ability, desire, and interest into account. Disillusionment could be avoided if students were guided in their career choices. Guidance is only possible if the guidance counsellor understands the aptitude factors that influence the students’ career choice.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The goal of this research is to discover the career goals of the selected students in Egor Local Government Area, Edo State. The research will also look into the factors that influence career choices.
THE STUDY’S IMPORTANCE
This research aims to eliminate the problem of career choice among students in society. It would also provide students with a good direction for their academic year. The right choice of students so that they can discover on time whether the subjects they have chosen, and if they are capable of doing them, can meet their aspirations.
Furthermore, the research will provide educators with a better understanding of the issues, allowing them to assist students in making the best career choices for which they are qualified. This will enable them to read simply and meet the requirements of such a career.
This study will help our policy recognize the importance of training more career guidance counselors for our students in society. Implementing the study’s recommendations will allow students to develop skills early enough through vocational and technical training to contribute to the development of the economy.
Because specialization is a criterion for high productivity, the nation would benefit greatly from the employment of the right individuals in the right careers because productivity would increase, thereby meeting the nation’s manpower needs.
1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH
The project research has the following research questions.
1. Do the students know what career they want to pursue?
2. Are students influenced by their friends, parents, teachers, social status, prestige, and socioeconomic background?
3. What role do parents play in their children’s career choices?
4. Does a student’s ability in a particular subject influence his career choice?
5. Is the school providing proper or adequate guidance and counselling for the children’s career choices?
1.5 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVE
Students’ perceptions (both positive and negative) are widespread across the country. However, this study was limited to a few schools in Edo State’s Egor Local Government Area.
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FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENTS’ CHOICE OF CAREER IN VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION